Chapter 90: Fellow Daoist, Have a Smoke?

Li Ya recognized some of the disciples in the crowd and went forward to chat with them.

Li Xiaobai greeted everyone to continue waiting on the chariot, observing the current situation, the sect's gate must still be closed, with all the disciples waiting.

However, he didn't see anyone from Misty Peak among the crowds, presumably, they had already entered the Holy Demon Sect.

A man walked by his side, not saying a word, just standing there.

This man's eyes were tightly closed, a narrow scar ran across his face, making him look quite fierce.

He wore a short shirt, looking very capable, and the whip hanging from his waist was stained with dark red mottles, likely from blood that had set over the years.

Li Xiaobai thought for a moment and exchanged for a pack of cigarettes from the shopping mall.

[Huazi: Have a smoke, beats Qian, among fresh meats I'm the most divine, one drag clears the mind, refreshes the soul. (Ten Lower Grade Spirit Stones.)]

Note: Smoking is harmful to health.

"Fellow Daoist, care for a Huazi?"

Li Xiaobai didn't know what else to say to the man with a fierce look, taking out a cigarette and passing it over.

The man appeared somewhat astonished, his nose twitching slightly: "What is a Huazi?"

"Huazi is a special product from my hometown. All the real men over there smoke these."

"Let's try." The man spoke very tersely.

Li Xiaobai placed the cigarette in the man's mouth, struck a match and lit it. The man couldn't help but take a deep inhale, exhaling two dense white plumes from his nostrils.

"This tobacco is made from sandalwood!"

The man savoring it showed a hint of surprise on his otherwise unchanging face.

Pure sandalwood was not something everyone could get hold of, much less casually turned into such a trinket.

One drag and the Spiritual Platform became clear, thoughts were lucid as if it cleansed the marrow—all making it an addictive sensation.

He unconsciously took several more drags, burning the cigarette to the filter in an instant, his lips touching the hot cigarette end causing a slight tremble.

Discarding the cigarette butt, he took several deep breaths, seemingly reminiscing the flavor just experienced.

"Another one."

After lighting another cigarette for the man, Li Xiaobai asked with a chuckle, "My name is Ye Liangchen. May I ask for your esteemed name, fellow Daoist?"

"Yu Sanbian from the northwest."

The man took a small drag and said indifferently.

"So, it's Fellow Daoist Yu."

"Fellow Daoist Ye doesn't know of me?" the man asked.

"Uh... are you famous?"

Li Xiaobai scratched his head, unsure of how to continue the conversation, sensing something off about the man in front of him.

"Not particularly famous—just killed a few nobodies, that's all."

"The top whip wielder of the northwest, a prodigy of the Northern Region, ventured alone into the Western Desert, traveling three thousand miles overnight, destroying more than ten sects, and openly rejecting the overtures of many great powers... it's all just vanity," Yu Sanbian said.

Li Xiaobai was speechless, mentally labeling the man as a narcissist.

Just vanity yet you still rattle off such a long list...

"Woof, kid's got quite the act—open your eyes and see, Lord Ergouzi won't stand for this!"

Ergouzi somehow popped out from the passenger seat, always the first to resent others showing off in its presence.

"Keke, kid, do you know what 'circle' means? As the saying goes, the value of the people around you determines your worth. You, a mere human, at most mingle with a few humans at the Nascent Soul Stage or Transcendance Tribulation Stage, whereas I have been accompanied by Phoenixes since my birth."

"My playmates are all ancient Divine Beasts, adversaries like the Three-legged Golden Crow. When I dallied among mortals, Daluo Golden Immortals weren't even born yet. Compared to me, what you've mentioned really just sounds like vanity indeed."

"Yu has no habit of talking to chickens and dogs," Yu Sanbian stated flatly.

Ergouzi became furious when he heard this and was about to charge forward, while Ji Wuqing also had an unpleasant look on his face.

Li Xiaobai grabbed them by the neck and tossed the chicken and the dog back into the passenger seat.

"Cough cough, Brother Yu, why do you keep your eyes closed all the time?"

"If I were to open them, the mountains and rivers would shatter before me."

"…"

Alright, it seems this fellow has some issues with his thinking, better not engage with him any further.

At the same time, Li Ya had also gathered some information about the Holy Demon Sect's training program and returned to everyone's side.

"Boss Ye, I've just asked a few friends, and it turns out that to enter the Holy Demon Sect as a training disciple, one must go through numerous tests."

"It is said that every year, thousands of training disciples seek to join the Holy Demon Sect for cultivation, but in the end, only two hundred are kept, making the competition extremely fierce."

"The content of the assessment is divided into three parts, the first challenge is this high mountain right before us—the Holy Demon Sect doesn't have a gate, so if you want to enter, you have to find a way to climb up on your own."

"We are the last batch of training disciples to arrive here, and the test for the training disciples began half a month ago."

Li Ya briefly reported her findings and curiously sized up Yu Sanbian beside her.

"I see."

Everyone suddenly realized that getting through the sect gate was the first test, and with the cliff rising a thousand feet high and reaching into the clouds, climbing it would likely require profound strength and movement technique, or at the very least, a magic treasure.

This presented a challenge for the people from Ancient Moon City.

In small places, they were the wealthy elite, but they paled in comparison before a major sect.

"Do you think you can make it up there?" asked Li Xiaobai.

"We can't." they said unanimously.

"With a single wave of my arm, I can soar up ninety thousand miles. A mere small hill slope like this is nothing to be afraid of!" Ji Wuqing looked disdainfully at the cliff in front of him.

Li Xiaobai automatically ignored Ji Wuqing's remark, thinking of strategies in his mind, hoping to not waste spirit stones in such a place if possible.

Suddenly, there was a disturbance in the crowd at the base of the cliff.

A stream of light descended from the sky, and a grey-clothed elder stepped out.

Li Xiaobai's heart skipped a beat; he recognized the old man—it was none other than Elder Feng, whom he had encountered in the Divine Beast Mountain Range.

It was said he was a Great Elder of the Holy Demon Sect, and their mutual scheming that day had been quite memorable.

"Fellow cultivators, I am Feng Qingyang, the Great Elder of the Holy Demon Sect, responsible for this test of the training disciples."

"You are the last batch to enter the Holy Demon Sect, but ultimately, only a small portion will remain. I can clearly tell you that more than two thousand three hundred disciples have participated in the test, and only about one hundred and fifty have successfully passed."

"The testing is harsh, and competition fierce. I hope each of you will give your utmost effort."

"The test is divided into three levels. The first level involves passing through the Blade Array, testing your cultivation level and your movement technique. The second level tests your heart and willpower, and the third level tests your cultivation level. Only by passing all levels can you train within the Holy Demon Sect."

"However, all of this is contingent on your ability to successfully cross this cliff; otherwise, all talk is in vain."

"The assessment starts now and will last one day. I will be waiting at the finish line!"

With that, Feng Qingyang turned around and transformed into a stream of light that disappeared into the sky.

The disciples immediately began climbing the cliff, for with only one day's time, it was essential to ascend as quickly as possible.

In the distance, Qin Lan's gaze shifted, noticing Yu Sanbian mingling with Li Xiaobai and the others, and a ripple passed through her beautiful eyes.

To be able to walk together with Yu Sanbian, these individuals must not be nobodies.

She approached Li Xiaobai with a smile on her face.

"My name is Qin Lan. How may I address you, brother?"